Today's electronic musical devices are often provided with many ways to interconnect to other devices. Simpler devices such as instruments may only have a single signal output such as an electric guitar which uses a standard ¼ inch plug connector to provide an analog musical signal generated by the guitar. Other advanced electric guitars or other instruments may provide additional types of signals having associated connectors such as Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), Universal Synchronous Bus (USB), XLR connector by Canon, Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) connector, etc.
Each of these various signal and/or connector standards has its own properties and each may differ in its ability to convey information in both the type of information and amount. Generally, the signal/connector types are not compatible with each other, yet many signal/connector types may need to be accommodated in certain musical devices.
For example, a mixing board, electronic keyboard, electronic instrument, computer, analog to digital converter, music-adapted computing system, etc., all interconnected into a system, such as a recording system, may require dozens or even hundreds of connectors of several or many different types. Usually because of design constraints, many of the connectors are located along the sides or back of the enclosures of the musical devices. While such a layout is desirable to keep the many cables and wires out of the way of the control and display surfaces, the inability to easily view and obtain information about a connector's current status or operation can cause problems or inefficiencies for a user of the musical devices or system.